Your profileRequiredMSc degree in Bioscience Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Geography, Remote Sensing, or a closely related discipline
1. Strong background or interest in ecology and ecosystem functioning
2. Experience with remote sensing, GIS, or spatial data analysis
3. Programming skills (e.g. Python, R, or similar)
4. Willingness to conduct fieldwork in African dryland regions
5. Good written and oral communication skills in English
6. Ability to work independently and in an international, interdisciplinary team
Assets
7. Experience with time-series analysis of satellite data
8. Familiarity with dryland, savanna, or woodland ecosystems
9. Experience with drone data or ecological field measurements
10. Interest in linking fundamental research to conservation and restoration practice
Project background – StableScapes
African drylands support millions of people and play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, and land-based livelihoods. Yet these systems are under increasing pressure from drought, fire, and land degradation, often resulting in abrupt ecosystem shifts such as widespread tree mortality or shrub encroachment.
The StableScapes project challenges the traditional concept of Alternative Stable States by moving beyond simplified, binary ecosystem classifications. Through an integrated, multi-scale approach combining satellite data, drone imagery, and field observations across several African regions, StableScapes aims to develop a new, empirically grounded framework to understand woody vegetation stability, resilience, and collapse in dryland ecosystems.
To support this ambitious research programme, we are looking for a highly motivated PhD researcher with a strong interest in ecology, remote sensing, and dryland ecosystem dynamics.
Your research
As a PhD researcher in StableScapes, you will contribute to advancing our understanding of ecosystem stability in African drylands. Your work will focus on the interactions between woody vegetation dynamics, fire, drought, biodiversity, and soil resilience.
More specifically, you will:
11. Develop high-resolution remote sensing products to map tree mortality and shrub encroachment across dryland landscapes using satellite and drone imagery
12. Analyse fire–drought interactions and their role in triggering vegetation transitions
13. Investigate how biodiversity and soil properties influence ecosystem resistance, recovery, and collapse
14. Contribute to the development of a new stability framework for woody dryland ecosystems, moving beyond simplified state-based classifications
15. Integrate remote sensing data with ecological field measurements and environmental time series
16. Participate in international field campaigns and collaborate closely with project partners across Africa and Europe
Your research will directly feed into decision-support tools and guidelines for conservation, restoration, and climate-smart land management.
The PhD candidate will be primarily based at KU Leuven – Division Forest, Nature & Landscape, an internationally recognised research group with strong expertise in landscape ecology, dryland systems, ecosystem resilience, and advanced Earth observation. The group has a long-standing presence in African drylands and works closely with local universities, NGOs, and land management agencies.The PhD is embedded in an international research network and includes collaboration and research stay at the University of Copenhagen, supervised by leading experts in dryland ecology and remote sensing. A research stay at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, working with the Ecosystem Function from Earth Observation (EFEO) team on innovative biodiversity and functional trait mapping. What we offer
17. A 4-year fully funded PhD position
18. Joint supervision by Prof. Ben Somers and Dr. Sybryn Maes (KU Leuven), in collaboration with Prof. Martin Brandt and Prof. Stephanie Horion (University of Copenhagen)
19. Access to unique multi-scale datasets (satellite, drone, and field data) across African drylands
20. Strong international training environment with research stays at leading institutes
21. Opportunities for conference participation, advanced training, and professional development